Lock for railway-switches.



J; 0. HALE.

LOCK POE RAILWAY SWITCHES.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 22, 1908.

Patented June 15, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

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ATTORNEY J. 0. HALE;

LOOK FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22,1908 @b l PatentedJune' 15, 1909 z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1 mm li x V i I l/vyE lvm/ hem/we ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN (S. HALE, or WORCESTER; MASSACHUSETTS.

LOCK FOB RAILWAY-SWITCHES.

Application filed 11111.6 22, 1908. Serial No. 439,710.

T 0 all whom it may concern: v

Be'itk iown that 1, JOHN O. HALE, a citizen of the United States, residing at VVorcester, in the county of Worcester and Statoof Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks for Railway-Switches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relatesto locks for railway switches, and has for its object to provide simple and effective means to be readily attached to railway switches whereby. the split. rail may be locked by a spring pressed bar or bolt against working away from'the main rail.

A further ob'ect of the invent-ion is to so construct the locking bolt that when the switch is thrown the. trailing points of'the same'ai'c adapted to yield aiidbe pressed away by a train passing on the track in the opposite direction without permanently disturbing the locked position of the-switch.

It is foundin practice very difficult to prevent bolts from becoming loosened in the. mechanism on railroad tracks, on account of the excessive jar and working of the same, owing to the rapid passing of heavy trains, and where the tie rod in a switch becomes slightly loosened it fails to carry or move the switch points into the proper position and often is the cause of derailing the train. In order to obviate this serious diil'ieulty I have provided a spring pressed bar or bolt which operates independent of the tie rod and relieves the same of the responsibility of holding the rail points in position, said bar or bolt being adapted to act against the point of the switch rail to press'the same firmly against the main rail and hold the point in that position against any jar oi" vibration of the passing trains"irrespective of any looseness or backlash in'the tie rod, or other connections. Y i

In the construction of my improved locking device I'preferably employ arack and pinion as it is found that this in practice does away with the bolts, lovers and pivoted coirnections, thus reducing the number of parts that are likely to become loosened and lost,-

and also lessening the chance of lost motion and displacement of parts which is the immediate cause of many serious accidcntsl My invention consists broadly in provid:

ing a belt or bar for pressing against and Specifieationof Letters Pat nt.

Patented June 15, 1909;

locking the rail, and of the interposition of spring means between the rail engaging ends and the point where the power is applied in operating the tame, whereby a flexible tension is exerted on the rail to hold the same in position. Y

My invention further consists in providing (if)- I an automatic look sothat the same cannot I be disengaged or released by any pressure exerted through the rails, said release being only effected by a movement of the operating I handle. I p

An advantage in my improved locking device is that the same may be readily attached 'to switching devices now in .use.

With these and other objects in view, the

invention consists of certain novel features ofconstruction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Inthe accoin anying drawings: Figure 1- is a plan view 1 lustrating my mechanism attached to a switch and set in osition to close and lock the switch point an cause the train approaching in the direction ofthe arrow to take the side track. Fig. 2 is an end View showing the rails, a portion of one of the ties and some of the mechanism in section. Fig.

3 is an enlarged plan view of the disk and pinion. Fig. 4-is an edge view' of-said disk and pinion showing the pins by which the bolt rods are connected thereto. Fig. 5is an enlarged view of the outer end 0 a bolt rod showing the bolt and the spring acting upon the same. Fig. 6is a modification showing the spring pressed bolt as being carricd against the switch point by a circular motions F ig. 7--is a modification showin the two bolt rods as being rigidly connectm whereby they will be moved straight back and forth by means of a pin working in a am plat e. Fig. S-illustrates another form of spring bolt rod the spring being inclosed within a casing. Fig. 9-+is a detail of the cam plate illustrated in Fig. 7. Fig. 10is another modification whereby the bolt rods are adapted to. be. pressed outward and locked into engagement with the rail and drawn inward by the return movement of said rail. I

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the main track rails which are laid in the ci 1s .toina'ry manner upon the ties 'or sleepers 2. The switch point 3- When movedagainst the rail 4 c'oinpletesthe main track allowing the train to pass over the same, and when the switch point 5 is pressed over against the rail 1 the side track is completed.

In practice the points 3 and 5 are connected by the tie rods 6 by means of bolts 7 and 8. These bolts on account of 'the constant jarring of the rapidly passing trains become loosened and the tie rod is allowed to have considerable lost motion, andsomctirnes becomes entirely free at one end, so that when these rail. points or ends are moved from one side to the other, by means of said tie rod alone, they are likely not to be carried the full length oftheir stroke to lie pro erly up against the rail. To remedy this 0 jectionable and dangerous feature in switches of thischaractcr .l. have provided a pairof bolt rods 9 and 10 adapted to slide loosely endwise through the bearings 9 10 and in the outer ends of these rods are the bolts 11 and 12, These bolts are mounted in the bearin s 13,-14. at tho'ends of their respective rors and are pressed outward by springs 15 and lt until the stop pin 17, (see Fig. 5), engages the bearings 14 and prevents further motion of theh'olt. The inner ends of these'rods are shown as being pivoted to the rotatabledisk plate 1'8 on the ins 19 and 20. To the underside of this c isk is fixed the gear 21. and both are rotatably secured to the tie 2 by means of the screw bolt 22 whose head is preferably flush with the face of said plate,

eing let into the countersunk portion 23 in the center thereof. A friction plate 21 is provided and secured to the bottom of the recessed portion 22 to prevent undue wearing of the tie as the gear rotates thereon.

- do'not wish to be restricted to the use of a full gear or pinion as a portion or segment of pinion is adapted to be operated equally as well by the reciprocating movement of the rack, as said gear is not called 11 on to make a complete revolution.

either do I wish to be restricted to a disk or plate 18 attached to the gear, as in some instances this plate may be done away with, if

desired, and any suitable or convenient means may be employed for supporting the controlling pins. In order to operate this gear, disk plate and bolt rods, a rack 24 is provided having teeth 25 which mesh with v those in the gear, said rack being adapted to be moved endwisc in the bearings 26 and 27 by means of the connection 28, which is fastened to said rack by the bolt 29. The

outer end of this connection 28 may be maxim the operating lever 30 is in the act of being which may thrown from one side to the other the rack 24 is first moved to rotate the gear and withdraw the lock bolt 11, after which the in 31. brings up at the end of the slot 32 in t e tie rod 6, the point rails are moved into position against the other track, and the lock bolt 12 pressed' against said rail to retain it securely in that position, and as the actuating pin 19 is rotated around to the point where the pressure exerted upon the same is in exact side of the rail 35 by means of the rack 36 working in the segment 37, whereby when it is desired to throw the switch point 35 from the rail 38 the operating handle 30 is moved toward the rail, and owing to the slot 38" in the tie rod 39 the rack 36 and segment 37 are first operated to swing the'spring actuated bolt 40 out of engagement with the point of said switch after which the connectln bolt 41 brings up at the end of the slot and me rod point is then moved to its 7, in which the two bolt rods 42 and 43, in-

stead of being pivoted to the disk plate 18,

as illustrated in Fig. 2, are rigidly connected together through the cam p ate 44 to work endwise in the bearings 45 and 46, whereby when the disk plate is rotated to shift the switch, as the actuatin pin 47 is carried upward and over to theot or side, it moves into the irregular opening in the cam shaped portion and carries the bolts and rods straight across to contact with and lock the point rail- 3 on the other side. A feature of this construction is that the opening through the cam plate is cut awa whereb as soon as the actuating pin 47 as move a short dis tance the rail is unlocked and free to be moved across to the op ositc side at a s eed I independently ofthato the movement/b the lock bolts, and the last and of the stroke brings said pin again into the narrow slot 47 setting a strong spring tension against the rail point engaging bolt, and like the corn struction illustrated in Fig. 1, as tho actuat ing pin 47 is mo 'ed around to the point where the pressure exerted upon the same is in exact line withthe center around which the same is rotated-the bolt rods become.

locked against any pressure as exerted upon them through automaticall ted in Fig. 8, if desired, Where the springs are on the interior of the sleeves 49 Where they are held to press against their respective siiding bolt, the stop or limit pin 51 preventii i bolt from being forced out when the is another modification showing ianisin similar in its i ction to that illusd i Fig. 1, but instead of the bolt rods being pivotally connected to the actuating the disk 18 and carried both in'wari'l this thereof, as any mechanism which may be constructed to operate a bolt orbar and ive a spring interposed between the point ere said bar contacts with the rail and the mint Where 'tno power is applied to the bolt will come Within the spirit and scope of my invention, one practical embodiment and several modifications of whiclifliave been l-= ,rein shown and illustrated Without attempting to Show all of the various forms and rndihcations in which my invention might so embodied.

Having thus described my invention, What 1 claim as new and desire to secnre'by Letters Patent, is:

1. A railway switch comprisii'ie movable 0 switch points, actuating means therefor, a Jolt adapted to engage and lock each of paid oints, and sprii. neans interposed between of said bolts and said acl'u eons,

railway Itch comprising movable 'tch points, ac hating means 'iltOlOlQl, it also 'niovod by said actuating means adapird lo mugage and lock each ol said not and spring! means interposed between gl'ing ends oi said bolts and said actuowans. I? n a railway switch, movable snitch boll adapted to engage and lock earl! oi said points, means for lorking said boll agrainsl rrloasoinont, and spring means i!Il(ipHS="(l bet worn the ci'igraging ends of the bolls and the locking means.

i. la a. railway switch, movable switch poiuis. actuai ingincans therefor, a bolt also (so moved by said actuatingmeans adapted to engage and hill; carh ol' said points, means i'orlor said bolt against rolcasoinenl, and

nine spring moans interposed betwron {he eugagr ing ends ol [hrbolis and the locking means.

in a railway switch, movable switch points, means for engaging and holding said points closed with a flexible tension, actuating ncans for said engaging means, and means whereby'said engaging means can be released from engagement only by a n1ovement of said actuating means.

6. ln a railway switch, movable switch points, means for ci'igagring and holding said points closed with a l'lexible tension, actuatmg means adapted to i operate both said points and said engaging means, and means whereby said engaging means can be released from engagement only by a movement of said actuating means.

7v in a railway switch, movable switch points, spring pressed bolts for firmly holding said points in rlosod p sition with a llo7 i blc tonsioinmoans i'or locking said bolts against rcleascniont, and means for With.-

drawing said bolts before the switch is thrown; p 8. In a. railway switch, movable switch points and actuating; means therefor, spring pressodbolts for iirinly holding, said points in closed iosition with a flexible tension, means for loclqing said bolls against lGlGitGODlCDlE, and means including said actuating means for withdrawing said bolts before the switch. is thrown.

9. A railway switch. comprising movable switch points, actuating means therefor, a bolt also moved by said actuating means adapted to engage and lock each of said )oints, a rack and pinion through Which said bolt is operated, and spring means interposed between the engaging ends of said bolts and said actuating means.

10. in a' railway switch, movable switch points, actuating means therefor, a bolt also moved by said actuating means adapted to engage and lock car-h of said points, amok and pinion through which said bolt is operated, moanslor locking said bolt against rolca-soment, and spring, means interposed botiveou the engagingends of the bolts and the locking means.

11. in a railway switch, movable switch points, spring pressed bolts adapted to hold said points in closed position, a rack and 0s oillatory toothed moinbor, and inians operated bysaid member for controllii'ig the movement of said bolts.

12. In a railway sn' tcl'i, movable switch points, spring pressed bolts adapted to hold said points in closed position, a rack and oscillatory toothed member, moans operated by said member for controlling tho movemont ol said bolts, and mains \vhoreby said controlling means is automatically looked againstrcloasomont l'roin pressure on the rails.

13'. In a railway-switoh, movable switch points, spring prcssodlio-lts adapted to hold said points in closed position, a rack and oscillatory toothed member, means operated by said member for controlling the move ment of ssid bolts, means wheeby said controlling means is eutomntionll 1 locked against releesement from pressure on the rails, and means including said bolt spring whereby said locked mil point may yield temporarily end allow a, train to pass by in the direction of the trailing point of the switch.

14'. In a railway switch, movable switch points, spring pressed bolts adopted to hold said points in closed position, and pin adapted to be moved in a, circular direction from one side of a center to the other for controlling the movement of said bolts.

15, In a railway switch, movable switch 3 points, spring pressed bolts adapted to hold seid points in. closed position, :1 inch and os-- cilletory toothed member, and a, pin adapted to be moved about the pivoting point of seid member for controlling the movement ol' said bolts.

16. In a railway switch, movable switch points, a, tie rod for said points. it spring; pressed bolt for each POi11t,I11CLI1S for lockin the some to hold the points in closed position, e reek end inion through which said bolts ere operate it rodiconnected to both seid reek and said tie rod, end. means where by a, movement of said connection will first unlock the points and then move the same.

l7. In a railway switch, movable switch OlPiZS e tie rod for said points, a spring ressed bolt for each point, actuating pins for movingmid bolts, e rack and pinion for rot-sting said ins about a common center, e rod eonneoteo to both said rack and said tie rod, and means whereby movement of said connection will first release the Points and then move the same.

18. In it railway switch, movable switch points, e tie rod for said points, said rod being provided with e slot, a spring pressed lid bolts, a rack and pinion for rotating said pins about a. common center, a rod connected to said inch and to said slotted portion in said tie rod whereby :1. movement of said conmotion will be first oiloctcd to release the poin ts and then to move the same.

In testimony whereof I el'lix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN o. HALE.

Witnesses:

HOWARD E. BARLOW. E. I. Oennrv.

bolt for each point, actuating pins i013 moving 

